Dunkirk Reviews: First Reactions Praise Craft and Tension

The first reactions to Christopher Nolan’s World War II action-thriller Dunkirk have landed online. Written and directed by Nolan, the film follows the true story of Operation Dynamo, the rescue operation that saved hundreds of thousands of British soldiers who were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II. At 1 hour and 47 minutes, this is Nolan’s shortest film since his debut feature Following, but it’s certainly not small in scale. Reuniting with his Interstellar cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, the film was shot with a mixture of IMAX and 65mm film to bring the story to the screen in the most immersive way possible.

So what’s the word? Well, unsurprisingly, those who saw the film at the press day have high praise for Nolan’s craft. The guy is a master filmmaker, and with Dunkirk it sounds like he’s put together a non-stop, edge-of-your-seat thriller. The IMAX photography is also getting strong notices, as folks point out that experiencing this movie in full IMAX is the best way to do it.

But there seems to be a bit of an undercurrent of underwhelming notices for the characters and story. Nolan’s film sounds more experiential than anything, and there’s no individual standout character. Also, if you looking for movie stars, this ain’t the film—Tom Hardy apparently only has a handful of lines.